


The Ladybird Letters.

by damedeleslac



Series: We're all a little bit crazy - verse [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Long-Distance Relationship, Love Letters, unsolicited mail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-18
Updated: 2014-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-17 21:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2323169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damedeleslac/pseuds/damedeleslac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: only borrowing.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Ladybird Letters.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: only borrowing.

 

 

:::

 

They've been back in New York; staying in Tony Stark's obvious and over-compensating tower, when Sam find an envelope stuck down the side of his bag.

Inside is a collection of postcards; 12 in all, blank except for a dark red lip-print where the writing should be and ladybird beetle in the address section.

Sam has no idea when they'd been put in his bag, or by whom, or what they mean.

But after Stark's security team pronounces them harmless and he sticks them on the fridge in the communal kitchen (because the postcards are interesting; giant tourist attractions from all over the place, and there's nothing else on the door), and mostly forgets about them.

 

:::

 

There's another envelope the next time Sam and Steve head back to New York.

The Winter Soldier - Bucky Barnes - is leading them around in circles, they've been getting side tracked by HYDRA and other lets go save the world (or at least this part of it) problems, and even if it means starting few steps behind again, it's nice to have a safe place with hot showers to fall back to.

The postcards are all adorable kittens, the lip-print is a different shade of red and the ladybird has been joined by a multi-petalled flower that might be some kind of daisy or sunflower.

The security team hands them back and Sam sticks them on the fridge next to the first set.

Four of them are missing, including the Giant Coffee Pot, so it's not improbable that Tony or one of the other tower residents might have taken them.

 

:::

 

There are 13 in the third set, the lips are dark blue and the ladybird is wearing a fez. And all of the first and three of the second are gone from the fridge door.

 

:::

 

The fourth set of postcards (just in time for Christmas) are of sun drenched beaches, the lips have been striped red and green and the address lines have been hung with stockings (Three, one each for LB, BJ and GB).

 

:::

 

The set for Tony and Pepper's engagement party has pale blue lip-prints, bouquet catching ladybirds and twelve images of the cheesiest (dodgiest) honeymoon suites in existence.

 

:::

 

It takes a very short amount of time for Sam to start looking forward to seeing an envelope full of postcards.

They're there every second or third time he and Steve get back to the tower and he's pretty sure that the security team has started taking bets on the particulars (theme, lip colour, etc).

Sam's also certain that he's being used as a messenger - in February, the postcards had been scenes from the Princess Bride, complete with speech bubble quotes, six dark pink lip-prints and three arrow struck hearts - he hasn't been the go between for love letters since the ninth grade and really hopes that Stark doesn't come to the same conclusion, because the cupid references would be unbearable.

He's beginning to get a lot of (first and second hand) experience with weird and uncomfortable and creepy and obsessive.

But the postcards have never felt like any of that. In the grand scheme of things, they're almost normal (compared with the rest of his life), sort of like having a one way anonymous pen pal, especially when Sam finds where some of the postcards have gotten to.

Pepper has a kitten and one from the Milky Way set that had shown up near Dr Foster's birthday, in her office.

Tony has the Fourth Doctor and the giant coffee pot taped to the windows of his lab doors.

Bruce uses a sandy beach as a book mark.

And Maria Hill has an ice-cream cone tucked into her tablet case.

 

:::

 

Natasha has three postcards in her hand and is taking a fourth when Steve walks into the kitchen.

He steps passed her to take a mug from the shelf, filling and turning on the kettle before casually asking. "How's Barton?"

She considers and takes another postcard - from the 50 & 60's B Grade horror movie poster set - before answering. "He's good. Safe"

"And your other friend?" The look she gives him makes Steve blush, but he still gestures at the lip-prints, "I'm not an expert, but I don't think that's his colour."

Natasha stares at the cards; blushing a delicate shade of pale pink, long enough for Steve to prepare two mugs of tea.

"She's good too."

 

:::

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So that's all from the official fics, for now. There will be more after Age of Ultron, and hopefully posting some of the AU stuff soon.


End file.
